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French President Proposes Jail For Terrorist Website Visitors

Posted by Soulskill on from the if-it-quacks-like-a-terrorist dept.

howardd21 writes "French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is only a month away from an election, argued that it is time to treat those who browse extremist websites the same way as those who consume child pornography. 'Anyone who regularly consults Internet sites which promote terror or hatred or violence will be sentenced to prison,' he told a campaign rally in Strasbourg, in eastern France. 'Don't tell me it's not possible. What is possible for pedophiles should be possible for trainee terrorists and their supporters, too.' Is this a good move for security, or just another step towards a totalitarian society that prohibits free expression?"

10 of 402 comments (clear)

  1. Attacking the soul of France... by Dr_Barnowl · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The French should remind themselves that their motto is Liberté, égalité, fraternité, and that all three bits are important.

    1. Re:Attacking the soul of France... by gadget+junkie · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The French should remind themselves that their motto is Liberté, égalité, fraternité, and that all three bits are important.

      I beg to disagree. I live only a few miles from France, in a possibly worse country (Italy). the three words of the motto are sometimes in contradiction of each other, because one of the best tenets of liberty,and relevant to the topic, is that i must be allowed to hate your guts, which means "middle finger to fraternitè", but that I must not be allowed to limit YOUR liberty to hate MY guts.
      individuals will mostly prefer liberty over fraternity; the politicians will always prefer fraternity over liberty, because it will give them the means, and the moral justification to meddle in everybody's life and make themselves relevant. this case is no different, and there's no politico like a french one.

      --
      "If a boss demands loyalty, give him integrity. But if he demands integrity, give him loyalty." (John Boyd, 1927-1997)
  2. Re:Is It One of Those Laws Where Everyone is Guilt by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Presidential elections are just one month from now. He just wants to glean some votes from the far-right voters

  3. Re:Do you have to ask? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Naturally, no.

    Special exemptions for "special citizens".

    Like how Congress passes a law, but conveniently exempts themselves from it's application to themselves.

  4. Re:Do you have to ask? by second_coming · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Obviously not, in much the same way that enforcement agencies monitoring any other illegal content wouldn't be.

    Police and civilian IT forensic staff have to witness all kinds of completely illegal images/content on a daily basis and there is no question of any wrongdoing on their part.

    But then you knew that anyway.

  5. Re:bring it on. by circletimessquare · · Score: 5, Insightful

    this is the kind of warped perspective that makes no sense to me

    so much venom for the west

    what do you think of guys who hold the hair of eight year old girls and execute them?

    i'm not supporting this ridiculous visit-a-website,go-to-jail law. it's stupid

    i'm taking a stand against the warped perspective that: the west does something you dislike, so you support something far worse

    you do realize it's possible to be disgusted by BOTH islamic radicalization and censorial overreach, right?

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  6. Violence or Violence? by Mr_Blank · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Anyone who regularly consults Internet sites which promote terror or hatred or violence will be sentenced to prison

    Such a law would be a joy for military recruiters. Click the links below to be put onto a French terrorist watch list!
    Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines!
    Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines!

    I suppose the French President meant violence he does not agree with should be prosecuted. That makes more sense.

  7. Thought police by halfkoreanamerican · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I wonder if we should jail those who think about visiting said sites? That would be a crime too, if I'm not mistaken.

  8. Re:Do you have to ask? by mwvdlee · · Score: 5, Insightful

    No, just journalists and researchers.

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    Slashdot social media options: AIM, ICQ, Yahoo, Jabber and Mobile Text. Why no MySpace?
  9. Re:Parent post is not "flamebait" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    May be worth mentioning the guy who killed 70+ people in Sweden was snow white and claimed to be Christian. Look that fact up too.